Vacuum cleaner



June 29, 1943. 1G. E LOFGREN 2 e VACUUM CLENER Fil-.ed Jan. 23, l94- la@ m June 29, 1943. G. E. LOFGREN VACUUM CLEANER Filed Jan. 23. 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

i iblc hose. l

"Patented June 29, 1943 sans oFFicE vacuum cuiamni y assigner yionieeireiurcerpe'ntien,

corporation `ofDelaware `New York, N. Y., a

'y application January ss, mi, seriri No. siam My;` invention to more particularly to vacuum cleaners of the type which are Vacuum'cleaners ofthis pulled around on the `iioorby-a. ilex typeiueproviiiedwitlnV a dust separating member-or dustbag located within the vacuumfcleaner the vacuum cleaner has beenin use for a while the "vicina-1s) cleanergand dust bageventually` becomes andmust be v emptied Thevacuum cleaner casing is usually provided with a `cover which `may `be removed to I obtain access to the dust bag.V After the dust bag has beenemptied, it is usually immediately replaced inthe vacuum cleaner casing. "It is a customary practice to empty the Ydust bag at the end of each cleaning period. Occasionally .the cleanerl is retumed to its storageplace without replacing the dust bas, a cleaner maybeoperated withou the dust bag init.`

When this-happens, thediit and dust arecarrled into theiian'and if the air passing through 'the is used, in whole orinpart, for cooling themotor, it is also carried into the motor.

i Pig. 5 is an-enlarged detail view looking in the directlonofthearrowg't-B; lf

' llig.` 8 isadetail section view taken along the linel-loi'PigA; i'

Pig. I is a view similar to Fig. 8 is a side view oi the'vacuum cleaner.

Referring vto the drawings, il indicatesa' vacuum cleaner casing in which is mounted a motor Il driving a multi-stage centrifugal i'an I2. Fan

l2 is adapted to produce a'nowof air in casing il from, leftto right, as shown in Fig. 1; In the,l

left end oi' casing i0, a` dust bag il is located n s filter is provided. between the dust beg and n fan, it will S1299 the dust trom entering lthe (an and motor. However. when a illter u so located` serious damage may be done unless the mistake i isdis'oovered early because it will become clogged cleaner. This will cause themotor to overheat and even burn out if the condition is not core In accordance with this invention, a cover for obtaining access to remove the dust bag is D rcvided which cannot be locked in position unless the dust bag is in the casing. Since this fcover `contains the inlet opening, it is impossible to! use the cleaner without a dust bag init.

what I consider toA be novel and my invention l may be better'understood by reference to the 'i following speciiication and appended claims when considered in connection with the accompanyf ingdrawinsainwhich riaiisesioeviewefavacuumeiemerwith 'the casing broken away in part to expose parts Pig. 2 isV an'enlarged side view oi' the front end of the vacuum cleaner casing broken away in part with the dustbag inposition; y

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 without any dust bag in the casing;

rig. 4 is an emerged detail 'viewerthe front of the casing broken away to show the cover locking mechanism;4 i( l 7 quickly and win stop thenew of air through the and serves to separatethe dustfrom the air beiore it enters fan i 2. A removable iront cover" ,Il secures dust bag I3 in casing Il,l as will be explained below. and permits access` to remove dust bag Iltoempty it.` A exible hose |515 connected in an inlet openingin cover Il andw communicates with theinterior `of dust bag il@ Y A cleaning tool i0 ig connected to the other end of hose Il by meansfof a'rigid tubular handle member I1. When the area. in the vicinity oi the casingiI has been cleaned, the casing il is moved to a new place by a Dull on the iiexible hose I5. This pull is transmitted from the is through the iront cover i4 lto the easing il.

A Dust bag i3 is secured to a ring il by means of binding thread Il. `l'ting il hasan outwardly n extending iiange `2li which is covered with arubber gasket 2L Gasket 2| rests in a seat 22 pro-` vided in a ring 2l secured to casing iL Front: cover il isy provided with a corresponding seat4 2l in which gasket 2| ig received when cover Mil is secured to casing I0. When cover Il is locked to casing il. gasket 2i is compressed between cover il and ring 2l and provides an air-tight sealtorcover il. i Cover I I is locked tov casing III and disengaged therefrom by a handle 2l. .Handle 25 is rotatably mountedon a'pin 2l. Two gear sectors 2l are secured to handle 2l `and rotatable therewith on pin 2l. As best indicated in Fig. 4, gear sece" tors 21 engage twogears 2l pivotally mounted on plates. on opposite, sides othandle-ZS.' Sim-l ilar gears .vonly one oi' which is shown, engage gears 2l and are pivotally mounted on plates 2l.

t Two lingers ll are pivoted to plates `28 with in- `tegrally formed gear teeth engaging gears VIl.

` Only one linger. Ii is shown in Fig. 4f.l When e handle 2l is in the position shown in Fig.v 2, iingers Il extend outwardly in lockingengagement with bosses. When-handle 25moves from theA position oi Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. v3, the projecting portions of fingers 3| move downrig. e without avdust y the dust bag I3 is left out of casing III, then there is no gasket 2| between cover I4 and ring 23, and so cover I4 rests directly on ring 23 and ngers 3| do not engage inclined surfaces 35, as shown in Fig. 7. resist the force of spring 34, it will be moved to the flange of said ring and resting in a seat provided around the edge of the opening of said Without` any friction to I to the-retracted position shown in Fig. 3.v Even if the cover I4 should remain inpositionon Abosses 33, there would be rso much leakage of air between the'cover I4' and ring 23 ywithout.

gasket 2| vthat there would not be a sufciently high` suction produced to pick up any dirt at the cleaning tool I6. In addition, any pull at,

all exerted on the hose |5-would separate cover I4 from casing I0, as indicated in Fig. 8.v

While a preferred rformA of Athe invention is illustrated in .the drawings, .it should be kunderstood that the invention is not limited to the details of constructiomas shown, but the scope of invention is pointed out in the lappended claims. i

What I claim is:

1. A vacuum cleaner including a casing, a removable `dust -separating member located in said casing, a removable cover securing saidv dust separating member in said casing, locking mechanismforsaid cover engaging said casing, spring means biasing said locking mechanism to a retracted position, and means removable with said dust separating member for resisting the biasing action of said spring. v

2. A vacuum cleaner including a casing,` a rei f movable dust separating member located in said casing, 4a resilient gasket secured to'said member,

a removable cover engageable with said gasket to secure said dust separating member in said casing, :locking mechanism for said cover engagingsaid casing, the resilience of said gasket urging said ,mechanism into frictional contact with said casing, and spring means tending to move said locking mechanism to a retracted position,

said spring having insufficient strength to move said locking mechanism against the resistance of said frictional contact when said dust separating member and said resilient gasket are inv place in said casing.

3. A vacuum cleaner including a casing, a dust separating member located in said casing, a dust bag ring-secured to saiddust separating member and having an outwardly extending flange over-- lying an opening in said casing, a gasket secured casing, a removable cover for the opening of said 'casing engaging said gasket and securing said dust separating member in said casing, a locking mechanism for said cover engaging said casing.'

said locking mechanism Vbeing held in the locking position by friction produced by compression of said gasket, and a spring means moving said locking` mechanism` to a retracted position when .unopposed by said friction. a V Y 4. A vacuum cleanerincluding a casing, a dust a bag located in said casing, a dust bag ring se'-V cured tosaid, dust bag and having an outwardly y extending ange, a gasket secured to the flange of saidy dust bag ring and resting in a seat provided around an opening in the casingfor receiving said dust bag, va removable cover for the opening engaging said gasket, a locking mechanism `for said cover engaging said casing, sfaid locking `mechanism compressing said gasket when moved to locking position and held in locking position by the friction produced by the compression of said gasket, and spring means biasing said'locking mechanism to a'retracted position.

5. A vacuum*y cleaner including a casing having an opening, aring secured to said casing at v onev end forming a seat adjacent said opening, a dust bag ,adapted to be 'inserted through the openingof lsaid casing, Ya dust bag ring secured to said dust bag and having a flange overlying the seat of said ring secured to said casing, ai

gasket secured to said flange and resting on the vseat of said ring, a removable cover for the opening of said casing engaging said gasket, a locking mechanismv for saidcover engaging Isaid casing and compressing said gasket to seal' the opening of the casing and the friction produced by the compression of said gasket lserving-to hold said locking mechanismjin a locking position, and

spring means biasing said lockingl mechanism to a retracted position. v l v f Y GUSTAF EINAR LOFGREN. 

